South Africa may be the reigning world Test champions, but the magnitude of the challenge facing the team in the upcoming two-Test series in India is not lost on head coach Shukri Conrad. He described it as the “biggest challenge” at the Eden Gardens here on Wednesday.

“India is a tough challenge anywhere in the world, and when you come to an iconic venue like Eden Gardens, it makes it even tougher,” Conrad said ahead of Friday’s opening Test. “I don’t think there is any big challenge. Yes, we won the [WTC] final against Australia, which was huge.

I compare this series and this match with that final. That’s how big it is for us.

” But it appears that South Africa have a capable bowling attack for this test. The fast bowling pack led by Kagiso Rabada and Marco Jensen and the spin-bowling combination powered by Keshav Maharaj cannot be ignored.

“[With spinners] Keshav, Simon [Harmer] and Sen [Senuran Muthusamy]. I think it gives us a lot of confidence that we have the weapons to challenge India,” Conrad said. “[But] if history is to be believed, there is always something for the fast bowlers at Eden Gardens.

So I expect the fast bowlers on both sides to have an impact on the game, especially in the first few days, and the spin will come a little later. There are a lot of battles within the Test match, within this big war. ” The 58-year-old was also relieved by the return of leader Temba Bavuma after a two-month-long injury layoff.

The captain recently made a comeback for South Africa A vs India A in Bengaluru and scored a half-century in the successful chase of 417 runs. “He has been one of the best players in the world.

The calmness he brings to the batting unit, his leadership, his calm demeanor. it makes us feel very good. We are thrilled that he performed well in the A game as well.

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